1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to covers for electrical devices, and more specifically relates to a convertible electrical device cover and method for installing same.
2. Background Art
Electrical devices used in conjunction with electrical device boxes vary and include electrical outlets (both standard and ground fault current interrupts), light switches (both toggle and rocker plates), rounds, and cable television and/or telephone ports. Conventional covers for electrical device boxes are designed to try and prevent inadvertent access to the electrical conductive elements of electrical devices and to hide associated wiring. Each type of electrical device requires different dimensioned access openings in a cover to accommodate it. However, conventional covers usually are non-convertible in their design, and therefore, each electrical device requires a different type of conventional cover configured for it. Moreover, conventional covers usually are not capable of use with both single-gang and/or double-gang electrical device configurations. Thus, to install or service electrical devices, an electrician must carry several types of conventional covers to each site, which are time consuming and inefficient to install.
Another problem currently facing conventional covers may involve safety issues. For safety, the electrical device should at least be flush with access openings in plastic covers, and the electrical device should protrude through access openings in metal covers. Many conventional covers and related cover assemblies may be unsafe based on this fact. For example, some cover assemblies are designed to have a base separate an insert from the electrical device. Such a cover assembly may be unsafe if the thickness of the base is too great, the electrical device may not protrude far enough to be flush with or extend through the plastic or metal cover access openings respectively.
Accordingly, what is needed is an electrical device cover that overcomes the drawbacks of conventional non-convertible covers, such as the inability of safely protecting electrical devices in varying orientations and in a variety of styles and sizes, through a cover that may interchangeably and safely accommodate virtually all commonly encountered electrical devices used in conjunction with electrical device boxes. The invention has the advantage of being able to solve these problems through a convertible electrical device cover that is adaptable to safely accommodate a plurality of electrical devices in a plurality of orientations.
The convertible electrical device cover includes a base plate configured to safely accommodate an electrical device. The base plate may further include at least one removable tab that, upon removal, allows conversion into or formation of at least one access opening that is configured to accommodate at least one electrical device. In an embodiment, the base plate may include a pair of removable tabs that, upon removal, allow conversion into or formation of a pair of access openings for receiving a duplex electrical outlet. A removable center tab that separates the pair of access openings, as well as four corner tabs, may also be included in the embodiment. The center and corner tabs may be removed to form an access opening for receiving a ground fault current interrupter outlet. Additionally, a pair of flanking tabs forming portions of the pair of access openings may be included as well in the embodiment, which may also be removed to form a larger access opening. Therefore, the base plate may be a xe2x80x9cblankxe2x80x9d comprising a continuous network of removable tabs, the removal of which may convert the base plate to accommodate a plurality of electrical devices.
The convertible electrical device cover also includes an adapter plate configured to safely accommodate an electrical device. The adapter plate may be located between the electrical device and a rear side of the base plate when the convertible electrical device cover is placed in an operative position over the electrical device. Alternatively, the base plate may be located between the electrical device and a rear side of the adapter plate when the convertible electrical device cover is placed in an operative position over the electrical device. In either of these alternative embodiments, a front face of the electrical device may be at least flush with a front side of the adapter plate, thereby ensuring a safer operating condition. In another embodiment, the adapter plate may be configured to abut the base plate on all sides of a larger access opening formed by removal of the pair of removable tabs and the center, corner, and flanking removable tabs of the exemplary base plate embodiment generally described above.
The adapter plate may further include at least one removable tab that, upon removal, allows conversion into or formation of at least one access opening that is configured to accommodate at least one electrical device. In an embodiment, the adapter plate may include features similar to the pair of removable tabs and the removable center, corner, and flanking tabs of the exemplary base plate embodiment generally described above. In another adapter plate embodiment, the adapter plate may include a removable tab that, upon removal, allows conversion into or formation of an access opening configured to accommodate a toggle switch. A substantially circular removable tab defining the access opening may also be included in the embodiment. The substantially circular removable tab may be removed to form a substantially circular access opening for receiving a round outlet. A substantially annular removable tab encompassing the substantially circular removable tab may be included as well in the embodiment, which may be removed to form a larger substantially circular access opening for receiving a larger round outlet. Therefore, the adapter plate may be a xe2x80x9cblankxe2x80x9d comprising a continuous network of removable tabs, the removal of which may convert the adapter plate to accommodate a plurality of electrical devices.
The convertible electrical device cover may further include an engaging mechanism. When a convertible electrical device cover is placed in an operative position over an electrical device, the engaging mechanism may be configured to either removably couple a front side of the adapter plate to a rear side of the base plate facing the electrical device, or removably couple a rear side of the adapter plate to a front side of the base plate, so that a front face of the electrical device may be held in at least a flush engagement with the front side of the adapter plate. The engaging mechanism may also be configured to position the adapter plate to accommodate an electrical device positioned in a plurality of orientations.
In another embodiment, the engaging mechanism may include opposing protrusions on a rear side of the base plate facing the electrical device, the opposing protrusions defining receiving notches positioned inwardly toward one another. Pins may also be provided that may be removably coupled to and extend outwardly from opposing sides of the adapter plate, the pins configured to removably couple into the receiving notches defined in the opposing protrusions so that a front side of the adapter plate may be removably coupled to a rear side of the base plate and a front face of the electrical device may be held in at least a flush engagement with the front side of the adapter plate.
In yet another embodiment, the engaging mechanism may include a recess. The recess may be defined in a rear side of a base plate facing an electrical device so that a front side of an adapter plate may be removably coupled into the recess, thereby holding a front face of the electrical device in at least a flush engagement with the front side of an adapter plate. Alternatively, the recess may be defined in a front side of a base plate so that a rear side of an adapter plate may be removably coupled into the recess and a front face of the electrical device may be held in at least a flush engagement with the front side of an adapter plate.
In still another embodiment, the engaging mechanism may include electrical device box screws and opposing top and bottom key holes that extend fully through the adapter plate and that align with underlying opposing top and bottom key holes in the base plate. The electrical device box screws may extend through the key holes in both the adapter and base plates and into the electrical device box screws holes so that a rear side of the adapter plate may be removably coupled to a front side of the base plate and a front face of the electrical device may be held in at least a flush engagement with the front side of the adapter plate.
The invention also includes a method for installing a convertible electrical device cover according to the present invention. Generally, the installation method may include the step of placing the convertible electrical device cover in an operative position over an electrical device so as to locate an adapter plate between the electrical device and a rear side of a base plate. Alternatively, the installation method may include the steps of: removing at least one removable tab of a base plate that is configured to accommodate at least one electrical device, thereby converting the base plate to accommodate at least one electrical device; removing at least one removable tab of an adapter plate that is configured to accommodate at least one electrical device, thereby converting the adapter plate to accommodate the at least one electrical device; and placing the convertible electrical device cover in an operative position over an electrical device so as to locate a base plate between the electrical device and a rear side of an adapter plate. In either of these alternative installation method embodiments, a front face of the electrical device may be at least flush with a front side of the adapter plate, thereby ensuring a safer operating condition.
The alternative installation method embodiments may further include the steps of: either utilizing an engaging mechanism to removably couple a front side of an adapter plate to a rear side of a base plate facing the electrical device, or utilizing an engaging mechanism to removably couple a rear side of an adapter plate to a front side of a base plate, so that a front face of the electrical device may be held in at least a flush engagement with the front side of the adapter plate; and/or utilizing an engaging mechanism to position an adapter plate to accommodate a plurality of orientations of an electrical device.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.